Cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, such as those commonly used in desk-top computer screens, function as a result of a scanning electron beam from an electron gun, impinging on phosphors on a relatively distant screen. The electrons increase the energy level of the phosphors. When the phosphors return to their normal energy level, they release the energy from the electrons as a photon of light, which is transmitted through the glass screen of the display to the viewer.
Flat panel displays have become increasingly important in appliances requiring lightweight portable screens. Currently, such screens use electroluminescent or liquid crystal technology. A promising technology is the use of a matrix-addressable array of cold cathode emission devices to excite phosphor on a screen.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,442, entitled "Display Panel," Wasa et. al. disclose a display panel comprising a transparent gas-tight envelope, two main planar electrodes which are arranged within the gas-tight envelope parallel with each other, and a cathodeluminescent panel. One of the two main electrodes is a cold cathode, and the other is a low potential anode, gate, or grid. The cathode luminescent panel may consist of a transparent glass plate, a transparent electrode formed on the transparent glass plate, and a phosphor layer coated on the transparent electrode. The phosphor layer is made of, for example, zinc oxide which can be excited with low energy electrons.
Spindt, et. al. discuss field emission cathode structures in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,665,241, and 3,755,704, and 3,812,559. To produce the desired field emission, a potential source is provided with its positive terminal connected to the gate, or grid, and its negative terminal connected to the emitter electrode (cathode conductor substrate). The potential source may be made variable for the purpose of controlling the electron emission current. Upon application of a potential between the electrodes, an electric field is established between the emitter tips and the low potential anode grid, thus causing electrons to be emitted from the cathode tips through the holes in the grid electrode.
An array of points in registry with holes in low potential anode grids are adaptable to the production of cathodes subdivided into areas containing one or more tips from which areas emissions can be drawn separately by the application of the appropriate potentials thereto.
The clarity, or resolution, of a field emission display is a function of a number of factors, including emitter tip sharpness, alignment and spacing of the gates, or grid openings, which surround the tips, pixel size, as well as cathode-to-gate and cathode-to-screen voltages. These factors are also interrelated. For example, the voltage required for electron emission from the emitter tips is a function of both cathode-to-gate spacing and tip sharpness. One advantage of the disclosed process is that very narrow cathode-to-gate spacing is possible, which permits the use of threshold voltages that are at least an order of magnitude lower than those previously reported. Since emitted current is proportional to the difference of the applied emitter-to-gate voltage and the emission threshold voltage, for any given emitter-to-gate voltage, a lowered threshold voltage will result in greater current.
The gate etch masks of early field emission displays were manually aligned to emitter tips. Manual alignment introduces variability into the process, which often results in less than optimum electron emission patterns. U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,887 entitled "Micro-Structure Field Emission Electron Source," teaches self-alignment of emitter tips. The self-aligned fabrication of emitter tips and gates greatly reduces process variability, decreases manufacturing costs, and results in a display having greater image sharpness.